Dr. Schwartz is Chair and Professor in Special Education at the University of Washington, as well as faculty advisor for the inclusive preschool and kindergarten programs at the Experimental Education Unit. Her research interests examine effective instructional strategies and environmental arrangements to facilitate the learning of young children with autism and related disabilities.

Her research identifies and validates instructional strategies and seeks to understand how to teach teachers and others, implementing these strategies with high fidelity. As principal investigator of several federal projects, she has designed a model demonstration project to develop school-based services for young children with autism, and has developed a personnel preparation program for early childhood education teachers working with severly disabled children in inclusive settings. She has numerous publications on social-communication and teaching strategies for children and youth with developmental disabilities.